MMRDA red-flags Centre's move for bullet train station in BKC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project the bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad appears to have hit a roadblock with the MMRDA opposing the location of the underground bullet train station at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had selected BKC for its proposed International Finance Centre (IFC).

Principal Secretary, Urban Development I (infrastructure projects), Nitin Kareer said the Ministry of Public Transport will be asking the Railway Ministry to either relocate the proposed station for the bullet train to its terminus stations at Bandra or Kurla.

Kareer said the site at BKC was selected by MMRDA for setting up IFC. "Besides the area that the proposed IFC would cover, it will also include multi-level underground car parking. Apart from this, IFC could come up in a relative short duration, but it would take time for the bullet train to start generating revenue," he said.

Kareer said as compared to Metro stations, the underground bullet train station will require much bigger area. Hence, it was decided at a meeting of MMRDA, Transport and other senior officials that the Ministry of Railways be asked to consider an alternate site for the bullet train station.

Earlier in January this year, Railway Ministry fast tracked the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project. The high speed rail corridor costing Rs 90,000 crore will also have equity participation from Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The top speed on this corridor will be 350 kmph. The halts on the route include Thane, Virar, Dahanu, Lonavala, Valsad, Vapi, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodra, Anand or Nadiad and Ahmedabad. The state government had recommended including Belapur in Navi Mumbai in the proposed route.